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3) Cover your seats - the RAC said: "Most modern car cabins are black and that's bad news for keeping cool. Leather seats, in particular, can get uncomfortably hot and sticky – and may degrade and crack if regularly exposed to heat.

"Fitting light-coloured seat covers is one solution, or you could opt for lighter upholstery in the first place. As a temporary measure, a towel spread over the seat will help keep you cool."

4) Wipe down hot surfaces - the RAC states: "On very hot days, the interior door handles, steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake may become painfully hot to touch. Wiping them over with a damp cloth will remedy this."

5) Keep the air-con maintained - it said: "Keeping the air conditioning system maintained is vital for cooling your car quickly and effectively. The refrigerant gas will usually become depleted over time and belts may need tightening or replacing. Consult your car handbook and stick to the service schedule."

How can I cool down a hot car?

Hot cars can be dangerous for animals as well as uncomfortable for people (Image: RSPCA)

If you've not had chance to implement any of the above, then this is a good question - and the RAC has five suggestions to help with this:

1) Fan the interior - it said: "Open both the windows on one side of the car, then 'fan' the interior by swinging a door on the opposite side back and forth. Providing you're not worried about potentially looking a bit weird, repeat this open-close motion at least three times to help expel the hot air. Leave the sunroof shut if the car is parked outside in sunlight, though."

2) Switch on the air conditioning, correctly - the emphasis being on the word correctly, there. The RAC said: "Captain state-the-obvious has arrived, but just in case you didn't already know... Start the engine and switch the air conditioning to its coldest setting. If your car offers the option, select the 'external' air setting (the symbol on the switch usually shows an arrow entering the car), rather than air recirculation (a circular arrow). The air outside the car will be cooler at this point. Open all remaining windows, as the air-con system will take a few minutes to become effective."

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3) Use the lower air vents - it said: "Heat rises, so it makes sense to blast the cooler, air-conditioned air into the footwells, forcing the hot air already inside the car upwards and out of the open windows. Shut off the upper vents on the dashboard and at the base of the windscreen so that the full flow of air into the car is directed upwards."

4. Keep the windows open - according to the RAC: "Start driving but keep the car windows open for a minute or two to let all the hot air escape - do this until the air from the vents feels cooler than the outside temperature. Unfortunately, most people's commutes involve sitting in traffic, which won’t help air circulation."

5. Close the windows and switch to recirculated air - the final advice from the RAC: "Once the air conditioning is blowing cold, close all the windows and switch to (pre-cooled) recirculated air. You can now open the upper air vents and adjust the flow as required.

"More advanced 'climate control' air-conditioning systems allow you to set and maintain a constant temperature within the car."